Rise of the Beast
by Uber Spoonz
Summary: Awakened by the light of the Golden Sun, an ancient and dangerous monster moves to seek revenge against the world that imprisoned it - and to destroy the only beings that can challenge its might: Adepts.
1. Chapter 1: Calamity

First of all, please forgive my lackluster summary. I have never been very skilled with the things. Now, pertaining to the story, with the announcement of Golden Sun: DS at E3 last month, I have been absolutely itching to get back to writing for Golden Sun. After whining and complaining about for God only knows how long, I finally got myself together and mapped out a basic idea for a plot. At the moment, I have no idea if this is actually going to work out or not, but if I've learned anything in these past two update-less years, it's that it's practically impossible to make any progress without getting feedback along the way! With that, please excuse my shameless rambling and enjoy the following.

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Chapter 1: Calamity

It was hot, as one could expect for a summer day in Vale. Children splashed in the river's cooling waters, laughing and enjoying a world without worry. Isaac and Felix had returned months prior, and with them came an end to all the anxiety and uncertainty that had plagued the town during their absence. Thanks to the release of Alchemy, Weyard had entered an age of prosperity.

Vale, however, was still anything but prosperous. While the village had peace of mind, rebuilding each of the many houses that were leveled with the rise of the Golden Sun was no small feat, even for a town of Adepts, and it was projected that it would be years before the reconstruction was finally complete. A certain four Adepts, however, would not be disheartened by the gloomy prediction and worked every day as though it were their last.

Isaac swiped a hand across his brow as he exhaled. The heat made the exhausting job almost unbearable, but he refused to let his work suffer; the people of Vale were counting on him to ensure that they would have a place to sleep.

"Hey, Isaac!" The voice startled the addressed from his concentration, and he glanced down from his perch on the ladder to find Jenna looking up at him, a tall glass filled with water in her hand. "I know you've gotta be thirsty in heat like this!"

Isaac smiled in reply and made his way down, gratefully accepting the beverage he was offered. He pressed the cool glass against his face before raising it to his lips and drinking deeply of the chilled water. A laugh escaped Jenna as she watched.

"Jeez, Isaac, are you a fish or something? It's okay to drink it at a normal pace, you know. It's not like your shoddy framework here is going to go anywhere," she commented, gesturing to the beams of wood Isaac was fashioning into a wall.

"I know, I know," the boy conceded. "It's just so easy to get caught up in it. When we were on our journey, we always had a goal in mind, and we were always working at it. I guess the mentality just sort of stuck."

"Well, be careful about that." Jenna placed her hands on her hips and adopted a lecturing tone. "It's really hot out here, so you can't neglect your basic needs. Don't work so hard that you forget to take a break every and then. The last thing we need is one of our heroes going down from heatstroke."

Isaac waved off his friend's concern, but she would only leave once he promised to rest more frequently. She was right, after all; he wasn't taking proper care of himself. It was simply far too easy to become absorbed in his task. He had to work twice as hard anyway, he decided, to make up for his father's absence. Kyle's health had been a concern as of late, and both his wife and his son stood firmly against him when he brought up his desire to assist in rebuilding Vale.

The steady rhythm of the hammer striking against the wood joined the chorus of other similar noises as Isaac resumed his work. Kyle had been weak ever since returning from Prox—as Kraden had said, he should have perished after fighting as the Doom Dragon—but recently the man had begun to decline, as though the power of the Mars beacon that revived him was starting to fade from his body.

_Mars and Venus may be close_, Isaac considered, _but when all is said and done, can earth ever be fully replenished by the power of fire?_

The boy pushed such thoughts from his mind. Prox had seen to it that his father and Felix's parents were fully recovered before they had departed, so if Kyle was feeling ill, he had probably caught a cold. Isaac comforted himself as best he could with this notion, but he was prone to excessive worry. Until the man was completely healthy, the worst-case scenario would continue to haunt him.

Little more than an hour passed this way; Isaac's work kept his apprehensive thoughts at bay, but the afternoon sun made it difficult to ignore his growing thirst and fatigue. Somehow he found it in himself to take heed to Jenna's advice, and he stepped away from his carpentry to find a place to rest. Wearily he ambled towards the site where the town's sanctum once stood and found refuge in the shade cast by a nearby cliff. A few barrels of water were scattered about the area, likely placed there in hopes that the shadows would keep them at least a tiny bit cool, so Isaac quenched his thirst from them.

The boy leaned against the warm stones comprising the ledge behind him and gazed out over Vale. It was almost cruel, he mused, that a town that had existed in peace for so long should be met with such great misfortune. His eyes wandered absently to where Mt. Aleph formerly loomed. That was where everything had begun, so long ago. Isaac tilted himself away from the wall and started in the direction of the great mountain's rubble.

_Three kids and a scholar_, he recalled. _That's all it takes to send the world spiraling off to its destruction_…

His feet moved almost with a will of their own, guiding him towards the massive stones that remained in place of Mt. Aleph. _Just because we wanted to see what was inside_… _Just because Saturos and Menardi_… Isaac's trance-like recollections were cut short as he stumbled on the jagged edge of a rock and fell to the dusty earth. He lay there for a moment, his breath stolen from him by the fall, before gathering himself and rising. Glancing around, he found that he had somehow wound up much further out than he had realized.

"How did I wind up all the way out here…?" the boy wondered aloud, half amazed that he didn't trip sooner. Because the mountain simply split apart, Mt. Aleph's debris was perilous; the stones had not yet been weathered down to a safer shape. "Really weird… Why did I even come out here in the first place?" Isaac turned and started back towards Vale. If he was rested enough to go on what was practically a hiking expedition while half asleep, he was certainly rested enough to get back to work on the reconstruction. As he passed the remains of the sanctum, however, his progress was impeded by the approach of a particular redheaded Adept running towards him as quickly as his legs could carry him, as if he were immune to the sweltering summer heat.

"Isaac!" Garet called, waving his arm to better attract his friend's attention. "Isaac! We've got a problem!"

Exactly the words he didn't want to hear. Isaac moved to meet Garet; he was carrying himself with urgency, and his expression was grave. These things did not bode well.

"It's Vault." Garet spared himself only a brief moment to catch his breath before resuming his explanation, "We just got word that Vault's under attack."

A cold feeling washed over Isaac, stripping him of any other concern he might have had at the moment. Vault. That was where many of Vale's citizens were staying during the town's reconstruction. His parents were among them. The young hero immediately started for Vale's main gate, and Garet hurried to follow his friend. "It's just one monster," he clarified when he had finally caught up, "but apparently it's a freakishly strong one. The only Adepts in Vault are the ones from Vale, and the only folks from Vale that are in Vault are the sick and the elderly. You can imagine why they aren't holding out so well—"

"Garet." He turned to face his smaller companion. "Not the time for talking."

Isaac regretted the words the moment they passed his lips, but certainly Garet perceived that his brevity stemmed from his worry. The two were close enough to be brothers and had an almost telepathic understanding of one another. Telepathy, however, was not needed to see Isaac's desperation as he ran.

Vault was fairly nearby, so trip that lasted for eternity upon eternity in Isaac's mind really only took several minutes. The pair was met with the sound of frenzied screaming as the townspeople darted about, frantically seeking some manner of sanctuary. Vault's sanctum seemed to have been converted into a shelter of sorts; a small group stood at the doors, grabbing people as they passed and almost shoving them inside so that they would be protected.

"What the heck are they doing?!" Garet growled. "They had ought to be leaving town! If they all cram themselves into that place, then whatever's attacking them only has to destroy the sanctum and everyone will be killed all at once!"

"We can worry about teaching them proper evacuation procedures after we take out the monster," Isaac replied, all but ignoring his friend's words. He reached a hand to his back but was both horrified and mortified to find that he had left not only his scabbard but also his armor in Vale. Garet, who had not made the same error, eventually noticed the wild way Isaac was looking about himself and recognized what the problem was.

"What the— Jeez, Isaac! Did you seriously forget your sword and armor?! You're really off today, man!"

"That doesn't matter right now! I'm going to the weapons shop to pick up a couple things to use. Find the monster. You can signal me with Eruption." Disregarding his companion's following words, the Venus Adept made for the town's small armory to better equip himself for the battle to come. The selection was limited and of a low quality, but even a simple travel vest would serve him better than his light summer tunic. Suddenly the door frame was filled with a blinding crimson light; Isaac snatched up the nearest blade and nearly slipped in his haste to reach the source of the flash.

Outside, the makeshift bell tower that acted as the town's centerpiece collapsed as its supports gave way. The residual light of Garet's Eruption faded, a smog of dust and smoke obscuring the form of the creature that was the boy's target. His arm was still extended from the use of the psynergy, and his hand was slightly smoldering. Isaac called to the Adept to alert of him of his presence.

"I take it you found our monster, huh?" he assumed, twirling his newfound sword on his fingers to accustom himself to its weight. Garet nodded in assent.

"Yeah, but Isaac," an anxious silence punctuated his statement, "this thing just isn't right… I don't know what it is, but it definitely isn't normal." The smaller of the two opened his mouth to inquire further, but a stirring near the base of the fallen bell tower distracted him from his question.

A terrible monster pulled itself up from the wreckage. Its form was easily that of a dragon, but it was emaciated to a point at which it appeared undead. Its gaunt arms tapered into naught but bone past its elbows, and its hands consisted mostly of great, horrible claws. Its legs barely seemed able to support its slight weight, but the long, lean tail it possessed likely aided its balance. A pair of spindly wings that could scarcely be of any use for flight adorned its back, and its face was eerily humanlike and yet vastly otherworldly. Four terrible horns, two curled like a ram's and two pointed like a bull's, erupted from the sides of its frail skull. Its countenance was dark, and its pale eyes gleamed murderously as it grinned at its opponents with its toothy mouth.

"This is the thing we're fighting?" Isaac breathed as he studied the beast. "It looks like it'd fall over if the wind started blowing. Is this really the monster that all those people were so afraid—"

Without warning, the creature propelled itself forward at a speed which dizzied the eyes and wrapped its lanky hand around Garet's arm. Its grip was surprisingly strong, and it wasn't long before blood began to well up in the lacerations made by the monster's claws. Isaac regained his bearings and lunged forward, blade ready, to strike his foe, but it foresaw the attack and swatted the boy aside before he had the opportunity to become a threat. Garet used the distraction to wriggle away, holding an herb to his wounds to dull the pain and readied his Stellar Axe to strike.

Isaac hurled an Odyssey at their enemy, charging in at the psynergy's climax to deliver a blow from his own steel. His attack made contact, but to his great surprise, the beast's flesh was like stone, and the sword could do little to cleave it. Realizing the futility of his efforts, Isaac coerced the earth below his feet to erupt in a casting of Mother Gaia. The soil splintered apart and golden light shined forth; the Adept leapt backwards to avoid the coming explosion. The glow grew to an intensity that could match the sun, and with a mighty roar, a column of light burst forth from the ground, bringing with it massive rocks that had been ripped away from the rest of the land by the overwhelming force. The monster was consumed by the cataclysm, and a few breathless moments of anticipation passed while the two warriors waited to see the outcome.

The cloud of dust that had arisen as a result of the psynergy was suddenly illuminated by a blue light, and as the haze began to settle, the Adepts recognized that their foe was healing itself with psynergy.

"Look at that!" Garet exclaimed. "Isn't that Ply? I thought only Mercury Adepts could use Ply!"

Isaac had no time to fathom a reply; ice began to form around his ankles, and before his mind could register what was happening, it had reached his waist. Gathering himself, Isaac chipped at the frost as best he could with the hilt of his sword, but the creature was already upon him. The boy winced as its hand tightened on his throat. Garet attacked with all the psynergy he could muster, but none of it seemed to have any great effect. A number of gold-colored orbs materialized around Isaac, and their light drove the monster back. From each of the spheres appeared one of the Adept's nine Venus Djinn. Garet took their enemy's momentary relent as an opportunity to melt the ice that encased his friend.

"What's with your Djinn?" he said, raising an eyebrow curiously at the beings' abrupt appearance. They had spread into a circular formation in front of the boys and seemed to be acting as a shield to keep their adversary away.

"I'm not sure," Isaac replied. His felt around his neck to assess the damage; a simple Cure took care of the small cuts that had been made. "Maybe they decided to step in since I was in trouble." He brandished his sword threateningly, but the monster remained wary to approach. "Try attacking with your Djinn instead," the boy recommended. "It looks like it's afraid of them."

Voicing his understanding, Garet readied Scorch for an attack. The Mars Djinni propelled itself forward and struck with a fiery fury. It drew back, a scarlet aura encircling it to signify its prior use. The beast's body was noticeably charred, and this fact gave the Adepts new hope for victory. Immediately, Garet made use of Scorch in a Mars summon, and the monster screeched in the inferno that enveloped it. Isaac called forth the power of Ground to immobilize their foe, but a wave of trepidation rippled through the ranks of the small creatures. Not missing a beat, the Venus Adept chose to utilize Mud's abilities instead. He received a similar reaction; it was as though his Djinn were frightened and averse to entering the battle.

"Come on, Isaac!" Garet shouted impatiently. "There's only so much Mars can do against Mercury! You've _got_ to back me up here!"

"I'm trying, but they won't respond," Isaac explained. He raised a hand to try and quiet the beings, but their enemy was at last advancing. The boy begged of Granite to lend him its protection against the attack to come. The Djinni, however, instead darted away, fleeing to the skies in a radiant blur. Before Garet could substitute for Granite with his own Flash, the beast lunged at Isaac and pinned him against a nearby stony wall. The Venus Adept's other eight Djinn flitted about in a frenzy; one by one they retreated until only Flint remained. Garet, meanwhile, was having similar trouble controlling his Mars Djinn. They were all deeply terrified of something, as though the true strength of their adversary had only just begun to shine.

Isaac failed to suppress a cry as his shoulder was pressed against the wall with such force that the rocks began to give way. Through half-opened eyes clouded with pain he met the gaze of the terrible monster that sought to take his life. He began to lose feeling in his arm, and his sword slipped out of his hand. Garet worked to do all within his power to force the beast to release his friend, but he could not get close enough to engage it directly, his Djinn remained uncooperative, and if he used psynergy, he risked the smaller warrior getting caught up in the attack.

Isaac's vision blurred, and he struggled less and less against the monster's hold. Darkness began to close in on his mind, illuminated only briefly by a golden light dimmed by his failing consciousness.

"I won't let you hurt my master!"

The small voice was the last thing Isaac perceived before he was lost to silence.

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Please forgive me; I know that much of that was very forced, rushed, and mechanical. I'm desperately trying to get a handle on the flow I used to have back in my freshman year of high school. Until I can manage this, please bear with me, for this is bound to be a bumpy ride for a while yet.

Pertaining to the story itself, a cliffhanger is one of few ways I can motivate myself to pick up the next chapter, so do excuse that. I'm counting on the power of words to give me the spirit to pull through with this endeavor, so please do find it in your heart to leave a review! Meanwhile, I will do all within my power to commence writing on the second chapter; I hope that you all will look forward to it!


	2. Chapter 2: Foreboding

Aaahh, I really wanted to go to bed earlier tonight, but I also really wanted to post this chapter today... Actually, I suppose I've failed in that regard, as it's already past midnight... Oh well. Also, since the first chapter contained quite a fair bit of action, this one moves at a much slower pace. I do hope you don't find it too boring... At any rate, here's the chapter; please enjoy.

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**Chapter 2: Foreboding**

The sunset burned at Isaac's back as he looked out over Vale. The wall he had worked so diligently to erect lay splayed across the ground. The other attempts at reconstruction scattered about the town were in a similar condition. Much of the wood was seared, and embers from the fire that must have taken place still glowed here and there. Most significant, however, and most terrifying was the number of corpses strewn about.

Isaac gazed on the scene wordlessly, even breathlessly, his face a mask of horror. He took it in as best he could, but he simply could not comprehend the truth before him. He moved to approach the town, taking a few clumsy steps before stumbling and falling to his knees. He willed his body to rise, but he could muster neither the strength nor the will for such a feat.

The air reeked with the bodies' decay, intensified by the hours spent in the late afternoon sun. A film of crimson had settled on the riverbed. The barrels of water set out for the workers had been spilled, their contents completely wasted. There was evidence that a horrific battle had taken place: large rifts cleaved into the ground, an occasional weapon lying discarded near the hand of a fallen Adept, and doors ripped off of the hinges of the few standing buildings, likely where the townspeople had taken shelter.

It was a tragic sight, the likes of which that Isaac could never have imagined, or perhaps never would have dared to imagine. He was overcome by nausea and could no longer bear to look; he turned his head and gave every effort to calm himself, but the image was emblazoned upon his memory.

_All the Adepts that would dare to defy me_…

The ghastly voice resonated throughout Isaac's being. The boy started at the sudden words and searched his surroundings fervently. If there was a survivor, perhaps they could tell him what had happened to Vale…

_All the Adepts that would endeavor to detain me_…

Isaac collected his fleeting strength and stood, his hand instinctively seeking out his sword's hilt. The voice was not by any means that of a survivor. It was that of an enemy. It was that of the fiend that had wrought this horror against Vale.

_All the Adepts that would dare to hope that they could destroy me_…

"Shut up!" Isaac demanded, throwing his fists to his side in frustration; just as in Vault, he still did not have his blade. "What did you do to Vale?! What have you done to my home?!"

_All the Adepts in the world_…_ shall fall before my might._

"Is that what this is all about?" The Venus Adept was quivering with rage and anguish. "You want to kill all the Adepts?" He spread his arms in indication. "Well _here I am_! Why don't you just try and kill _me_?!"

_The Golden Sun shall be my own boundless power, and never again will any fool dare to challenge me._

A searing agony rent Isaac's body in two. A strangled scream escaped the boy, but the sound caught in his throat and became silence.

_Look well upon this ruin, pitiful vessel, for this is the fate of your world_…

**

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**

"Isaac!"

The addressed opened his eyes hesitantly, as though afraid of what he might see. He was greeted by Garet's anxious face leaning over him. The larger boy's worried expression softened to one of relief.

"Jeez, Isaac… Did you sleep well?" His voice was lined with heavy sarcasm. Isaac sat up to inspect the state of his body; a dull pain still lingered from his memories of what appeared to have been a nightmare. His shoulder sharply protested the movement, however, and he abandoned the effort. It was only then that he began to recall the events preceding his dream.

"Okay, so should I start talking to you exclusively in yes or no questions, or are you going to start using words some time soon?" Garet frowned, more concerned than irritated.

"Sorry." Isaac was surprised to find his voice so hoarse. "What happened?"

Garet struck a vial against the floor and offered its contents to his friend. "Uh, not sure, to be honest," he admitted. "Your Djinni, the only one that stuck around, managed to bring down that weird monster all by itself."

"Really? Flint did?" In reply, an almost impalpable weight applied itself to the Venus Adept's chest. He raised his head slightly and was met with the large blue eyes of the aforementioned Djinni.

"I did!" the creature declared proudly. "You don't have to worry about a thing, Isaac! Meanies like that can't hurt you as long as I'm around!"

"Yeah, except he _did_ get hurt," Garet reminded with a small flick to Flint's ear. "Anyway, I got you into the armory as quick as I could—let me tell you, you are _not_ light. I figured you probably wouldn't want your folks to see you out cold like that. I did what I could to take care of your injuries, but I'm not Mia. There's only so much I could do."

Isaac decided to give another go at sitting up; he managed to do so with a groan, his hand impulsively clutching at his injured shoulder. He realized for the first time since waking that he was lying on the building's floor with Garet crouching beside him.

"Thanks," he murmured. "Both of you."

"Yeah, well…" The redheaded boy rose with a sigh and stretched his arms. "It's not like you're all set to go. We had really ought to pay a visit to the healer and see what can be done about that shoulder."

Flint hovered nearby as Isaac stood, careful not to make great use of his arm. "It can wait until we get back to Vale, right?" he suggested. Garet furrowed his brow in response.

"You sure it wasn't your head that got hurt rather than your shoulder? Vale's sanctum was destroyed along with everything else."

The notion brought fresh memories of his nightmare to Isaac's mind, and his face blanched. The sudden change did not go unnoticed.

"You all right, Isaac?" Garet moved to support his friend should he need it, guiding him towards the equipment crates so that he could seat himself. "You look about ready to pass out there…"

"Isaac's probably in a lot of pain from his shoulder. If that monster was pressing hard enough to crush the rock behind Isaac, just imagine what it did to his bones," Flint cooed. He seated himself on his companion's unharmed shoulder, his ears drooping sympathetically. Isaac, however, shook his head to dissent the Djinni's theory.

"No, it's nothing. I'm fine." His assurances were scarcely taken to heart. Garet rested his hands on his hips, a behavior he had likely acquired from his time spent with Jenna, and sighed deeply.

"All right, then, let's go see the healer. And if you try and argue with me, I will _make_ you go see the healer. And you will not like it."

"Now Garet's being a meanie!" Flint exclaimed. He cast an innocent look at Isaac. "Do you want me to hurt him?" The boy laughed in response, a sight which did much to put both the Djinni's and the Mars Adept's worries to rest.

"No, I don't think that will be necessary. Thanks anyway," the smaller warrior grinned as he started for the door. He pushed open the door, Garet following closely behind, and quickly evaluated Vault's condition. A group of people had already set to work raising the bell tower, and others wandered about to assess the damage done to other parts of the town. The sanctum remained the center of attention as a number of people carried what seemed to be medical supplies into and out of the chamber.

"They're probably treating the injured there," Garet assumed. He gave his companion's elbow a slight nudge. "Sounds like just the place where you had ought to be, huh?"

They made their way to the small building and briefly studied the interior. Each of the stools seated an injured person, and each of the injured people, as Isaac had dreaded, was an Adept from Vale. _All the Adepts in the world shall fall before his might, huh?_ he mused grimly. He shook his head slightly to clear his mind of such thoughts. _I can't ignore the possibility that it's just a coincidence_…_ Maybe only the Adepts were injured because they're the ones that tried to fight back_…

"Hey, Isaac," Garet said, "are we just going to stand here, or are we actually going to go inside some time soon?"

The Mars Adept had not made any effort to lower his voice, and the sound attracted the attention of most of the room's occupants. Some stood to approach the boys, appreciative smiles on their faces.

"Isaac and Garet!" one greeted. "We thought you might come when we sent our request for help to Vale. You were the ones that brought down that wretched thing that attacked us, weren't you?"

Garet turned to his friend with an air of expectancy; it appeared he had no intent to answer in Isaac's place. The blonde boy put on his most professional demeanor, "Yes, sir. We were able to defeat it with my friend's help." Flint beamed with the recognition.

"Isaac?" Dora appeared beside the man who first addressed the young heroes. "So it's you after all… I thought that was your name that I heard." She stepped forward to embrace her son, who did all within his power to suppress a reaction to the discomfort that the gesture provoked.

"It's good to see that you're all right," the boy said, breaking away from his mother's arms, but a new worry soon seized him. "But what about Dad? He wasn't hurt, was he?"

Dora refuted his concern, "No, he's fine." She stood aside and gestured to the far corner of the sanctum; Kyle was tending to an elderly woman with his psynergy. "Kyle's one of the few Adepts here who can use Cure, so he's helping out with the worse injuries."

"Speaking of worse injuries," Garet remarked as he clapped a hand on Isaac's wounded shoulder; the action was so sudden that the Adept had no time to prepare himself, and a pained sound escaped him. With a stifled gasp, Dora rested her fingertips lightly near the source of the ache.

"What happened?" she implored, taking her son's hand and tugging him towards the back of the sanctum where those that were caught up in the attack were being tended.

"Poor Isaac got smashed into a wall by that monster!"

"You don't have to exaggerate it so much, Flint…"

"Don't listen to him, ma'am! Flint's hardly exaggerating at all!"

The fuss, surprisingly, eased the dismal atmosphere that had presided over the sanctum before the warriors' arrival. Isaac sat as still as he was able while his mother tightly wrapped his shoulder, all but immobilizing it.

"You know this means you won't be able to work on rebuilding Vale for a while," Kyle mentioned as he approached; he had taken care of everybody who needed his attention and was eager to see his son.

Waving his nondominant arm up and down, Isaac refuted, "But my other arm works just fine! Besides, it's not like my shoulder is seriously hurt or anything. With psynergy, it'll heal in no time!"

"Isaac," Dora said, her tone resolute, "the point is that your parents are asking you not to do something. Can't you just agree to it and leave it at that?"

The earnest nature of his mother's words struck Isaac with regret; it was a simple request made out of concern for his well-being, and he was arguing against it. He lowered his gaze and muttered an apology.

"Who knew Isaac was such a problem child?" Flint chirped playfully. Said "problem child" glared at the Djinni, but the rest of the company found great amusement in the title.

On the promise that the blonde warrior would abstain from any sort of labor involving his injured shoulder, the pair started back towards Vale. Isaac, however, was having difficulty focusing on the task. With the knowledge that his parents were well and Vault was safe, questions regarding the strange monster were free to claim the boy's thoughts. The similarity it bore to a dragon had indicated that it would likely align with Mars, so it came as a great surprise when it suddenly displayed characteristics of Mercury.

_And it's not as though it acted like just _any_ monster with Mercury traits_, Isaac considered. _It definitely used Ply to heal itself. It's not unheard of that a monster use psynergy to heal, but I was sure that psynergy like Ply and Cure is reserved for Adepts_…

It was not long before Garet noted his companion's silence, "What's up, Isaac? You look like you've got something serious on your mind there."

"Just thinking about that monster."

"Yeah," the Mars Adept replied with a knowing nod, "I've been wondering about that too. It's just so weird that it used Mercury psynergy to heal, right? By the way," he leaned forward to more obviously address the Djinni perched atop Isaac's head, "what happened to your buddies? We got into a huge mess because those guys split like they did! For a while there I thought we might not make it!" Flint wrapped his tail around his body and made a rueful sound.

"They were afraid," he explained. "I was too, but I couldn't leave Isaac all alone…"

"What were they so afraid of? It looked like the Djinn were actually our best way to fight that thing," the Venus Adept reminded, referencing how the monster withdrew when his Djinn appeared.

"I'm not sure what it was exactly," the creature confessed. "There was just something about it… It made me feel like no matter what we did, it was just going to get us anyway." Garet raise an eyebrow.

"Get you, huh? Can Djinn even be killed?"

"It wasn't that we thought we would be killed. I don't know how to explain it…" Flint shivered at the memories, and Isaac narrowed his eyes in contemplation.

"You thought you would be captured?" he suggested. The Venus Djinni's ears lifted, and he assented eagerly.

"Yeah, that's it! We thought we'd be captured and have our powers used for bad things. I don't want to say that we didn't have faith that you two would prevent that, but the others got so scared that they didn't want to risk it."

Vale loomed in the distance, and Garet was the first to notice it, "Well, everything worked out, so it's no use worrying about what happened. We'll just work on fixing up Vale like usual and the Djinn will come back on their own."

"Garet's kind of an airhead, huh?" Flint whispered, and Isaac couldn't help but laugh in reply.

The warriors arrived at Vale's gates to find that a shipment of heavy stones had been made in their absence. Felix and Jenna stood nearby, the latter pointing to the parcel as she spoke and the former nodding in understanding.

"Hey!" Garet called, approaching the siblings with a discerning glance over the rocks. "These are the supplies for the sanctum, right?"

"Oh, Garet, Isaac, when did you two get back?" Felix said nonchalantly. His sister, however, was far less placid.

"More importantly," she admonished, her irate eyes focused on the other Mars Adept, "when did you _leave_? Jeez… It's one thing to goof off on your own accord, but don't drag Isaac into it too, since he actually _works_!"

"We're sorry, Jenna," Isaac said, apologizing for both of the boys. "Something important came up in Vault that we had to deal with."

Jenna frowned but accepted the explanation nonetheless. "Whatever," she sighed. "Isaac, could you help Felix to move these things to the building site for the sanctum? I think they're a little too much for one person, even with psynergy."

The boy agreed to the work and paced around the large stacks of stones a few times, considering the best way to transport them; Jenna, meanwhile, hauled Garet off in the direction of the inn with which he had been assigned to help.

"It's probably best to use Carry," Felix advised. "We can get them there in one go if we work together." Isaac gave a small nod and made to activate the proposed psynergy, but other thoughts distracted him.

"Say, Felix…" hesitancy interrupted the younger Adept's words, "did anything weird happen in Vale while we were gone?"

"What do you mean, _weird_?"

"…Never mind."

The two set to work conveying the massive bricks to the back of the town. Isaac relied chiefly on his nondominant arm, so the feat was more time-consuming than either would have predicted. The blonde warrior, however, had no desire to share the tale of what happened in Vault, not only for the fact that he did not wish to tell of his injury but also because he felt that perhaps if the events remained unspoken, they would lose their significance. It was worrying, he realized as they neared the future location of the new sanctum, to think that some great danger might be encroaching upon Weyard once more.

"Is everything okay?" Felix asked when they had set down their cargo. Reading his friend's perplexed expression, he elaborated, "You seem a bit out of it. And what did you mean earlier when you asked if something weird happened?"

Isaac brushed the back of his hand across his brow to clear away the sweat that had accumulated there. The sun was beginning to set, and a cool northern wind had started to blow. He gazed out towards Mt. Aleph, taking a moment to appreciate the gentle breeze as he pondered the best way to respond to Felix's concern.

"I'm just kind of tired, I guess," he lied. "It's nothing to worry about." The older Venus Adept frowned at Isaac's blatant secrecy.

"If you say so. Anyway, it's getting kind of late. We may as well call it a day."

"All right. I want to stay out here a little while longer, though. You can go back without me." The boy's eyes were locked on Mt. Aleph. Felix watched him warily for a short time before shrugging and heading for the encampment that had been set up around the river for the workmen and the few families that had insisted on staying in Vale.

As the sun slipped closer to the horizon, a silhouette began to take shape; there was a person standing out on Mt. Aleph's rubble. Isaac stared intently at the unmoving form, only half convinced that it was really there, before he set out to see who it was. The stranger's identity became increasingly obvious as he approached, and it was not a particularly welcome sight.

An abruptly strong gust sent the Mercury Adept's pale blue hair partially aloft as he turned to face his company, his arms crossed and a smirk on his lips.

"Well, if it isn't the better half of my power."

"Alex," Isaac growled. "What are you on about now?" A brief expression of confusion crossed the man's face, but it was soon replaced by his familiar confidence.

"Ah, right," he recalled, "the Wise One never told you directly."

"Never told me what?"

Alex waved off the inquiry, "That's of little importance right now." Isaac's stance became almost hostile.

"You're right," he said, his voice firm. "So tell me, just what are you planning this time? What are you doing here?"

"That's a good question. Actually, I'm not really sure myself. Somehow I just wound up here without even trying," the Mercury Adept explained. He took a few casual steps in no particular direction, searching for a way to voice his thoughts.

"Just out of curiosity, how have you been sleeping?" he at last inquired. The question visibly startled Isaac, and Alex chuckled, "Well, no need to say. That dumb look on your face tells it all." His disposition grew solemn. "That dream, don't just shrug it off like it doesn't mean anything. I don't know any more than you do, but I've got a bad feeling that it's an omen for darker days. You might want to talk to your old Alchemist friend about it."

Before the young hero had the opportunity to inquire further, a series of blue rings encompassed Alex, signifying the use of psynergy, and he disappeared. Isaac's eyes lingered on the place where the Adept once stood, a new fear seizing him.

* * *

I'm sorry; I feel as though I've left out a large number of important things... For one, the way Garet shrugged off the fact that Isaac was obviously having a nightmare, and then Isaac doesn't really give a whole lot of thought to his dream, then he hardly talks at all with his parents, and then Flint, whom Yuja has convinced me is really quite energetic and chatty, is largely silent and all but disappears. I hope these things don't make the progression seem too unnatural... I simply hate writing large amounts of dialogue and try very hard to avoid it if at all possible.

Um, so... That's about it. From here I'll be winging it a bit more, as my planning notes become a bit more scattered and vague after this point, but I'll still do my best to keep updates coming. Your lovely reviews will only motivate me towards this effort, so please do review as you see fit!


	3. Chapter 3: Revelations

A huge thanks to the 54 people who have read this story! An even huger thanks to the 10 people of those 54 that read the second chapter! And an absolutely massive thanks to the 3 of those 10 people that left a review! Yay! The story traffic thingy wasn't around back when I was last active on this site. Can you tell? Well, I worked all day on this chapter and now have a headache to shake the ages, so let's just go straight to the chapter. (Obligatory explanatory chapter. Please forgive the dullness. I promise something interesting will happen soon.)  
**

* * *

Chapter 3: Revelations**

A number of tents of varying sizes stood near Vale's gate, and several fires burned to illuminate the dusk. The craftsmen that had gathered to repair the town were seated in small groups, discussing the work of the coming days, sharing tales from their youth, or discussing their families and their friends from their hometowns. Four Adepts, friends from their childhood, sat in a loose circle around one of the campfires, recounting their past journey.

"You know what I find kind of strange?" Jenna started as she pulled a morsel off of the chicken thigh that was her dinner. "Nobody from Alhafra came to help. People from Madra came, and Madra's even farther than Alhafra is. You'd think they would have sent at least a couple of people after all the help we gave them with Briggs and their boat."

"We were in Alhafra for a little while. Just a little while, though. We couldn't stand the mayor," Garet recalled, sticking out his tongue in disgust at the memory. Felix groaned in response to the comments.

"Alhafra's mayor is…" The two Mars Adepts leaned forward a bit, curious to discover what word the older boy would use. "…unpleasant." He grinned inwardly at the disappointed frowns on his companions' faces.

"Speaking of Alhafra and Madra, didn't Briggs say he was going to repay the towns that he stole from? Do you think he carried through with it?"

"Come on, Jenna, you're thinking about someone like Briggs? Didn't you say he was married and had a kid?" The fire burned with a sudden intensity that singed the boy's fingers.

A conversation in the company of Garet and Jenna was never dull, but Isaac simply could not focus on their words. Alex's sudden appearance was perturbing at the very least, and the things he had said did little to alleviate the hero's growing concern.

_Ask Kraden about my dream, huh_… _But what about it?_

"Of course back then, Isaac was the best among us at psynergy."

"Oh, yeah! Remember the first time Kraden asked us to try and use psynergy? Isaac was the only one who could do it."

"Yeah, but I think his dad had been teaching him up to then. Is that right, Isaac?"

The addressed didn't respond until he had been asked a second time, and he required that the question be repeated a third time before he completely understood what was being asked. He fumbled with his words to find an appropriate reply, "Yeah, Dad taught me a little bit… It was a secret because the Great Healer insisted that we were too young to learn psynergy."

Jenna tilted her head, an eyebrow raised inquisitively, "Were you listening at all, Isaac? We just said that a little while ago…" Isaac stared blankly for a moment, disconcerted.

"Oh, yeah… Sorry," he muttered at length. Felix studied the other Venus Adept with an expression between worry and confusion.

"Are you all right, Isaac?" he asked. "You've been completely out of it since you got back from Vault with Garet."

"About that!" Jenna interrupted, her demeanor suddenly irritated. "Just what _were_ you two doing in Vault? You didn't exactly give me a straight answer earlier."

Garet cast a sideways glance at Isaac before opting to reply for the both of them, "Oh, well, you know…" He cleared his throat to buy more time for his thoughts. "Isaac's dad hasn't been in the best health lately, so we went to see how he was doing…"

"If that's true, then why don't you look me in the eye when you say it?"

"That's… Come on, Isaac, give me a hand here!"

Garet's calls, however, fell on deaf ears. Isaac was yet again distanced by his thoughts, and the words of his friends did not reach him. His eyes focused as a hand fell upon his shoulder; fortunately, it was the shoulder that had not been injured in Vault.

Felix withdrew his hand before speaking, "Seriously, are you okay?"

"Felix is right, Isaac. You really _are_ out of it," Jenna concluded from the blonde boy's the startled look on his face. Garet jumped on the opportunity to defend himself.

"Because he's worried about his dad! Just like I said!" The auburn-haired girl glared at him.

"Shut your loud mouth for a minute and let Isaac speak for himself!" she demanded. Garet immediately quieted.

"I was just thinking," Isaac began, "that we haven't heard from Kraden in a while, have we?" His statement was met with puzzled silence, so he continued, "He went to Tolbi to raid Babi's library for copies of books that he lost when his house was destroyed, right? I thought it seemed kind of strange that he hasn't sent word back to us…"

"It's not that weird, is it? You know how Kraden can get when it comes to research," Jenna justified.

"Oh… I guess so…"

A period of time passed in which the siblings pressed Isaac for more information, convinced that there was some better reason for his detached contemplation. Eventually they were forced to give up on the issue, for he would not yield anything that they considered a satisfactory explanation. They carried on with other topics for a time, but it was growing late, and Jenna decided to retire to bed in preparation for the coming day. Felix took a similar course of action not much later, leaving Isaac and Garet alone.

When he was certain that Felix and Jenna would not hear his words, Garet asked, "So, what was all that _really_ about?" He grew frustrated when his friend looked away, unwilling to present an answer. "Come on, you're not gonna keep it secret even from me, are you?"

A few moments of silence preceded Isaac's response, "Garet, can you cover for me tomorrow?" The unrelated request caught the Mars Adept off guard. "From Jenna, I mean," the boy clarified. Garet's countenance darkened.

"Oh no no no. You can ask me anything, Isaac, but don't ask me to do the impossible."

"Please, Garet…"

The redheaded boy sighed, grumbling, "Well… I guess… I mean, I'll do my best. But only if you tell me what you're doing that needs covering."

Isaac fidgeted slightly, trying to pinpoint the best way to explain himself without revealing too much information. He did not wish to involve his friends in the matter until it became absolutely necessary; they had all worked hard to save Weyard on their previous adventure, and he did not want to rob them of their freedom from responsibility.

"I'm going to head to Tolbi to see Kraden."

"About the monster, right?"

The Venus Adept avoiding eye contact as he assented his friend's conjecture. It was not completely untrue, after all.

"I thought so," Garet said with a nod, "and I'd be lying if I said I weren't curious myself. Just tell me what you find out, okay? And take it easy. You might be putting up a front good enough to fool everyone else, but I can tell you're really pushing yourself to act normally with your shoulder as it is."

Isaac quickly made to dispel the other warrior's concerns, "No, it really isn't that bad! I've got a weak flow of healing psynergy directed to it most of the time, so the pain is pretty dull. It's more stiff than anything else…"

Garet hummed critically, narrowing his eyes in mild skepticism. "Well, if you say so," he conceded. "Anyway, if you're trying to head out before Jenna has the chance to catch wind of it, you should probably get to sleep pretty soon."

Isaac stood and half turned towards the tent he had set up as shelter for himself. "Yeah, I guess you're right."

"And Isaac?"

The boy stopped mid-step to face his friend.

"Sorry about using your dad as an excuse earlier…"

He smiled. "Don't worry about it."

**

* * *

**

A bright flash followed by a sudden weight on his stomach roused Isaac from his slumber. He sat up slightly, rubbing absently at his tired eyes, to find that Flint had manifested himself.

"Wake up, Isaac!" the creature demanded. "You were going to leave early today, right?"

"How do you know about that? You weren't around last night," the warrior inquired with a yawn. Flint hopped up and down in irritation.

"Djinni and master are connected!" he explained. "I can tell what's going on around you even when I'm not in a physical form. And lucky for you that I can! You would have overslept if I hadn't woken you up just now!"

Isaac glanced outside through the sliver separating the two flaps of his tent. It was still dark; he had not planned to rise for at least another hour. He thanked his Djinni for his service nonetheless and quietly exited his temporary home, making sure to grab his equipment and the provisions he had packed the night before. He sifted through the bag to ensure that he had everything he would require for the trip and, finding his supplies adequate, garbed himself in his armor and shouldered his scabbard. He searched his surroundings warily to make sure he had not been spotted before making his way to the town's gate and starting on to Tolbi. Since the Golden Sun's rise, Weyard had become a much safer world, and great strides had been made in the direction of better connecting the continents. Most notable was the series of bridges and mountain passes that had been constructed to better promote trade between the humble villages of Angara and the flourishing cities of Gondowan. Not only did the paths aid to usher in a new era of prosperity for both lands, but they also provided Isaac with a convenient route to reach his destination.

"Tolbi's past the Karagol Sea, right?" Flint said, testing his own memory. Isaac nodded.

"It was before, but with all the new roads and bridges that have been opened, not many people still travel to Tolbi by boat," he explained.

"I don't have any problem with that." The Djinni's ears flattened upon his head. "I never really liked boats that much." Isaac laughed, amused that a being as wondrous and powerful as a Djinni would be so opposed to something as insignificant as a boat. Water and earth were not exactly symbiotic, he decided, so it was not unimaginable for a Venus Djinni to dislike the sea.

The pair continued in silence for a time. What had a warrior and a being of divine Elemental power to discuss, after all? Isaac was always amazed that Flint had been so willing and eager to join him when he first left Vale. All of the other Djinn they had encountered had required that the Adepts first prove their worth in battle or solve some puzzle to reach them, if not a combination of the two. Thoughts of the other Djinn saddened Isaac; his remaining eight had yet to return to him, and he was beginning to doubt that they ever would. They had always been valuable allies in battle, and, as Flint demonstrated, they could also be irreplaceable companions.

"What's the matter, Isaac?" The addressed started at the sudden words, no matter how small the voice that uttered them.

"Flint, do you know what became of the other Djinn?" Isaac dreaded the worst answer, hoping that his partner would supply a more pleasant alternative.

"I'm not really sure, actually," the Venus Djinni confessed. "I haven't been able to sense their presence since they disappeared yesterday. They must be really far away."

The assumption did little to settle Isaac's restless mind, and he continued to imagine the most terrible. Suppose another of those horrific monsters had appeared? What if it had captured them? What if they had been harmed? The Adept could not help but feel responsible for the creatures after all they had experienced together.

"Don't worry, Isaac. We'll find them." Isaac scarcely acknowledged the guarantee.

An hour's trek brought them to the city of Tolbi; Colosso was long over and would not come again for many months, so the town was quiet. The manor situated at Tolbi's farthest reaches, however, was more guarded than ever.

_They've probably been having trouble keeping thieves away_, Isaac supposed. Babi was, after all, the well-known lord of Tolbi and the host of the amazingly popular Colosso tournament. After his death, countless robbers had likely descended on the town in an effort to claim the many valuables that no longer had an owner. The guards recognized Isaac by face and name, so the warrior had no difficulty entering the towering building once he had stated his purpose. He immediately sought out the library and found the large door ajar.

"Kraden?" Isaac was surprised by the volume of his own voice, amplified by the bare stone walls and high ceiling. The scholar's head appeared from behind a bookshelf, and a smile spread on his lips.

"Well, if it isn't Isaac!" he greeted as he approached, an open book cradled in his hands. "What brings you all the way to Tolbi?"

"I hate to spoil your good mood, Kraden, but it's nothing worth smiling about."

"Don't be a meanie, Isaac," Flint reprimanded, the spikes on his back bristling.

"Ah, and Flint as well. I'm sorry; I didn't see you." Kraden returned to the bookshelf he had been studying earlier with a gesture that bade his company follow. "So, what seems to be the matter?" A troubled expression crossed his face, and he raised his eyes to meet Isaac's. "Your friends and family are all right? The people of Vale?"

"It's nothing like that," the Adept assured. "Something strange happened in Vault yesterday."

"There was a monster!" Flint exclaimed. "A big, huge, ugly, scary monster!"

"Overlooking the fact that 'big' and 'huge' are all but the same word," Kraden said, clearing his throat, "exactly what manner of monster are we talking about?" Isaac described the beast's appearance in detail with emphasis on its remarkable mastery of Mercury psynergy. The Alchemist grew silent, and it was obvious that he was considering something of grave importance.

"A monster that behaves as an Adept, was it…" He set his tome back upon the shelf and paced back and forth, tugging at the end of his beard thoughtfully. "But that's not… It was only a fairy-tale, like the legend of Anemos becoming the moon…"

Isaac was becoming impatient, "What are you thinking, Kraden? What fairy-tale?"

"It's said that there was once a great beast that plagued Weyard long before anyone had even considered sealing Alchemy. It was truly an amazing creature. Not even extremely experienced Adepts had as great a command over psynergy as this monster. All of the Elements were at its command. It grew drunk on the power it wielded, even mad with it, and sought to destroy anyone who would oppose its might."

"You mean Adepts." Isaac's voice was low, and his body numbed as he recalled the voice that had spoken to him in his dream.

Kraden nodded approvingly at his student's conclusion, "Exactly. As the legend goes, eventually a few warriors seized the power of the Golden Sun and used it to overcome the beast."

"What happened to it after that?" the Djinni asked, his ears twitching curiously. Kraden removed his glasses to clear the lenses.

"Well, there are no records of that," he professed. "Like I said, it's only folklore. The legend's survived through word of mouth alone. I had a written copy of it in my study in Vale, but all of those documents were lost along with the house." He returned his spectacles to the bridge of his nose. "It's a crying shame, really…"

An increasing feeling of dread compelled Isaac to press the matter further, "But if you had a written copy, then there _must_ be more somewhere, right? Do you know where I could find one?"

Kraden was taken aback by the mild-mannered boy's insistence. "If anyone had a copy," he said, "it would be the Lemurians. A civilization that's existed as long as Lemuria has would have an incredible wealth of records. It makes me regret having never asked King Hydros to have a look at his library…"

_Lemuria_, Isaac mused. _Felix returned the ship to Piers's care when we were finished with it_…

"Are you thinking of visiting Lemuria, Isaac?" Kraden assumed from the boy's expression.

"I don't see that I have any choice. I doubt that monster was the only one of its kind. I have to settle this before more of them show up, and this is the only lead that I've got."

"Is that so!" Kraden pulled several books from the shelf he stood before and placed them on a nearby table, then proceeded to a different shelf for a similar purpose. "In that case, I'll be returning to Vale so that I can accompany you to Lemuria. I simply did not see enough of the place on my first visit. Just allow me a few moments to collect the things I want to bring with me…"

"Kraden's a bit of an airhead just like Garet, isn't he?" Flint chirped. Kraden flared at the remark.

"How rude! I am a _scientist_!"

**

* * *

**

An indefinite length of time found the two nearing Vale, Isaac laden with most of the documents that Kraden had decided he required. The extra person and items made for a longer returning trip, but the journey, the Venus Adept decided, did not last nearly long enough to satisfy his tastes. He was not looking forward to explaining himself to Jenna, and he could not begin to fathom how he would make it up to Garet for leaving him in such an awkward position. Thoughts such as these distracted him from his fears; between Kraden's words, the events he witnessed in Vault, and his nightmare, it seemed almost certain that some unspeakable danger was closing in on Weyard.

"Isaac!" It was just the voice he did not want to hear. Jenna met the warrior and the scholar at the gate, her anger taking a nearly tangible form in the air around them. "And just _where_ have you been?! Really! I would expect disappearing acts like that from Garet, sure, but you were always working hard on Vale until just recently!"

Isaac raised his hands to defend himself, and Flint spoke in his stead, "Don't blame Isaac for it! He's just trying to protect all of you!" The Adept hurriedly shushed his Djinni. Kraden cleared his throat and turned to face Isaac.

"I suppose I am to assume that you've kept this matter a secret from your friends?" The boy did not reply. "Always the stubborn one, aren't you, Isaac? Always trying to bear the burden by yourself…"

"What are you talking about, Kraden? What's going on?"

A heavy breath escaped Isaac. _It isn't as though I could keep it secret forever_…

"Where are Garet and Felix?" the young hero said grimly. "There's a lot that needs explaining…"

* * *

And now, a few words. Actually, a great many words, but that's not the point. I worked really hard for a long time on this chapter so that I could post it today because there's a new MMO coming out tomorrow that I want to try and I know that I won't be able to get ANY work done on anything important. Even so, I don't know how I'm cranking out chapters like this, balancing it between working on two pictures, chatting with people, and working on beating GS:TLA. (Actually the last time I played TLA was a looong time ago, so until I beat it again, please forgive any inaccuracies as they pertain to the end-game...) I don't imagine that they will come nearly as quickly from here on out since I've already exhausted all of my pre-writing plot planning stuff...

That said! Forgive me for making up things about characters, such as Jenna's strong sense of organization and progress and Isaac and Garet's secrecy (especially that of the former). I get things in my head and they just stick, regardless of the actual truth... Also, I'm not really into most typical Golden Sun pairings - I only like really weird ones that no one would imagine - but somehow I've managed to portray Jenna as constantly furious with Garet and constantly worried about Isaac, even though I was trying to keep it balanced to appeal to those who like both pairings.

Um, if I go on much longer, this is going to turn into a story in itself. Please forgive my rambling. Reviews are greatly greatly greatly appreciated. They make me squeal as if I had just heard the GSDS announcement.


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